Five Months Old!

Well here we are, five months since Elijah was born and life is beautiful. Every day with him is such a blessing, though of course, some are harder than others. Teething is in full swing and there are days when he is just not a happy camper. I have tried a number of different soothers and natural analgesics and am starting to figure out what works for him at different times. It is definitely a learning process. Elijah began sitting up about two and a half weeks ago and is still SO CLOSE to crawling.  He continues to say "Mom" when he feels distressed and I am beginning to believe that he associates that with me.  He seems to try to say it at other, non stressful times but it is still a work in progress. He loves his excersaucer and loves to play with his toys while sitting (unsupported) on the floor. He has started to "help" me when I change him. He grabs his feet and sometimes legs, and pulls them back while I wipe him and re-diaper. It is SO CUTE! Sometimes he does it automatically and sometimes I say "Help Mama" or "Grab them" and he will do it on command, with a big smile!  Elijah also has begun experimenting with solids. We are following Baby Led Weaning and have followed his ques and milestones which have all signified that he is ready to experiment.  I have given him the vegetables that have been included in our dinner. So far he has had baked sweet potato that I sliced into "fries", baked zucchini and avocado.  We did offer him a "french toast" stick, gluten free since I am now following those guidelines, but I prefer to stick to veggies for now and then will add some fruit in another month or two. So far he is not ingesting very much but that is part of the philosophy of BLW....Food Before One, Just For Fun!  He is free to take his time with his solids and grow at his own pace.

My big boy just keeps getting bigger too! At our five month doctor's appointment today, Elijah weighed in at 17 pounds, 1 ounce and 29 inches long. He has been consistently gaining about a pound a month since he was two months old with no signs of slowing down. This morning, bright and early, I took our 5 month photos and some pictures of him "helping mama".

"I'm a big boy at five months old!"

 

"I love getting my picture every month with Mr. Bear!"

He makes such funny faces. This was too silly to pass up!

I wonder if this will be a toothy grin next month :)

My big boy sitting tall!

He loves his feet!

Help Mama!

Such a big help!

 I hope he is this helpful when he is a teenager! :)